What We Do

Equal Partners

There is no one way to learn at Brooklyn Free School. Our students are challenged and supported by a community of self-directed learning. At BFS we have no standardized curriculum, no mandatory testing, and no grading. Our teachers work with students to develop curriculum that supports their passions and their growth, and our lessons leap out of the classroom and into our neighborhood, city, and wider world. Our curriculum fosters self-confidence and self-motivation, as students learn that they are equal partners in determining their educational paths.

The School As A Community

We augment that deeper understanding of self with an unwavering commitment to our community at large. Through our system of democratic meetings, governed by Robert’s Rules of Order and the Iroquois Method, students solve individual and community problems through discussion, debate, and cooperation, and contribute to the running of the school as a whole. This is in the context of a school population whose diversity--in terms of race, income, ability, and background--is rare in New York City, and rarer still in the broader United States.  

Growing at BFS

At Brooklyn Free School we believe in the potential of education to transform ourselves at the deepest levels of who we are, and we know that this kind of learning means embracing play, curiosity, and, yes, discomfort too. A BFS student leaves the school with a complex and comprehensive education, and the personal integrity and courage to continue a life of exploration and questioning.